“We’re passionate about creating new and exciting opportunities for our Secret Road family of artists and writers,” says Head of Publishing, Josh Sarubin.“We’re thrilled to have this platform and opportunity to tap into the undiscovered talent of Nashville and beyond.”

"We are excited to continue our partnership for the second year with American Songwriter and Songspace on their new Pub Deal contest with Secret Road Music Publishing. The singer/songwriter continues to be a part of our DNA”, said Amani Duncan, VP of Brand Marketing, Martin Guitar. “Throughout music’s history, countless songs were created on our instruments, so playing a role in discovering the next great songwriter is a natural fit for us.”

Twenty-five finalists will be announced and featured on AmericanSongwriter.com. This group will be narrowed down to five, who will each be invited to participate in an exclusive audition process that includes a series of interviews with Secret Road’s staff as well as co-writing sessions with their songwriters.

The contest will be powered by Songspace, a Nashville-based startup and partner company of American Songwriter Magazine. The Songspace platform gives artists an intuitive way to organize the art and business of songwriting.

“We’re always looking to create opportunities for the thousands of talented artists using our app,” says Jesse Feister, Songspace Director of Strategy & Operations. “Breaking in to the music industry isn’t easy. Part of our mission is to work with brands and music companies to help great artists get their shot.”

Entries are open to songwriters not currently under contract with any other publishers, and the submissions period runs from Feb 25th - April 25th. Information on how to submit is available at www.songspace.com.

Secret Road is music licensing, publishing, and management company that has placed songs in such highly rated television shows as "Grey’s Anatomy," "Parenthood," and "Pretty Little Liars," and in such films as "What to Expect When You’re Expecting," "Something Borrowed," and "No Strings Attached." Additionally, Secret Road artists have provided music for a wide range of brands, including Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Target and Google.

Songspace is a song network and creative application for songwriters, artists and musicians linked to a song catalog management system for music enterprises. The Songspace platform gives artists and music stakeholders an intuitive way to organize the art and business of songwriting.

About Martin Guitar & Strings

C.F Martin & Co. (www.martinguitar.com) has been creating the finest instruments in the world for over 180 years. Martin continues to innovate, introducing techniques and features that have become industry standards, including X-bracing, the 14-fret guitar and the “Dreadnought” size. One of the world’s leading acoustic instrument makers, Martin guitars are hand-made by skilled craftsmen and women, who use a combination of new design and techniques along with those introduced by the company founder.

The company is also known for producing high-quality, popular acoustic guitar strings. These include the Martin SP® LIFESPAN™ line, the fastest-growing treated string in the industry, and the Martin SP line, which uses an industry leading core wire to hold tunings better. Martin guitars and Martin strings are the instruments and strings of choice for musicians around the world, from the icons of rock, country, folk and bluegrass to those just beginning their careers.

They can be seen across all segments of pop culture, from television (Glee, Psych, Raising Hope and American Idol) to the movies, on Broadway and in books, online, and gracing the covers of popular magazines on newsstands everywhere. Connect with Martin and Martin Strings on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube and via www.martinguitar.com and www.martinstrings.com.